Deploying Galactic Radio Explorer (GReX) Harvard Terminal
JURPA 2025 Cover.
Galactic Radio Explorer (GReX) is an all-sky radio monitor designed to detect the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) from undiscovered galactic magnetars and allow us to study their broadband emission. Building on STARE2’s success, GReX features 1.3–1.5 GHz feeds and high-performance, low-noise amplifiers, allowing for ∼10-ms resolution. A unit was deployed at Harvard, with plans for global expansion to achieve continuous 4π steradian coverage. This work details the integration and modeling of GReX components, including server-network setup, dish-box connections, and initial tests across sites. The system temperature Tsys was calculated at ∼51 K, corresponding to a projected detection rate of 6 FRBs/year. Site-specific radio frequency interference levels were assessed, revealing ∼17.4% or 10 dBm higher interference at the Science and Engineering Complex compared to the Center for Astrophysics (CfA), leading to our selection of the CfA for installation. The telescope is fully operational, monitoring for FRB signals.
